Solmaz Roshandel, Minoor Lamyian, Seyed Ali Azin, Eesa Mohammadi, Shahpar. Haghighat.,
Volume 17, Issue 3 (7-2024)
Introduction: Breast cancer survivors often encounter significant challenges in sexual and reproductive health, which necessitates specialized care. The present study aimed to develop and validate clinical practice guidelines for delivering tailored sexual and reproductive health services to breast cancer survivors in Iran.
Methods: The present work is part of a three-phase study conducted using sequential exploratory mixed methods. The first phase aimed to identify the sexual and reproductive health needs of breast cancer survivors and the ways in which they receive related services. The results of the qualitative research conducted in this phase were published earlier. In the subsequent steps, which have been mentioned in the current work, the authors first did a systematic review to find the clinical practice guidelines available in the world that deal with the sexual and reproductive health of breast cancer survivors. Then, the draft of the clinical practice guidelines was developed using the findings of the qualitative study, systematic review, and the opinions of the expert panel members. The validity of guidelines was determined using the AGREE II (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II) instrument.
Results: The developed clinical practice guidelines encompass 76 recommendations across six sections: general recommendations, sexual health, body image, early menopause, contraception, and reproductive health. The guidelines scored over 86% in all domains of the AGREE II instrument; all assessors recommended the guidelines for use, with or without minor modifications.
Conclusion: These clinical practice guidelines are not only tailored and validated but also provide a comprehensive framework for addressing the specific sexual and reproductive health needs of breast cancer survivors in Iran. These guidelines can serve as a valuable scientific and practical resource.
